UFC 332 Betting: Best Bets for Silva vs. Wang and More

The UFC seems to have developed a strong relationship with Salt Lake City since holding a numbered card there for the first time in 2022. Now, after not holding one there last year, the Octagon lands back in the Delta Center for UFC 332. While it’s not the strongest card on paper, the Salt Lake City crowd always seems to show up. Plus, it will be the promotion’s first time having a main card air on CBS.

In the main event, a new UFC women’s flyweight champion will be crowned following Valentina Shevchenko’s injury, as Natalia Silva meets Wang Cong.

Since 2018, Silva has won 14 straight, and she is 8-0 in the Octagon. In fact, her last three wins have come against former UFC champions Jessica Andrade, Alexa Grasso, and Rose Namajunas.

Cong, meanwhile, is 5-1 in the UFC (10-1 overall in MMA), and she enters this fight on a four-fight win streak. She earned tonight’s shot off a win over Tracy Cortez at UFC 329.

The co-main event will see bantamweight action, as former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo faces rising up-and-comer Payton Talbott.

Figueiredo desperately needs a win here, coming in with four losses in his last five fights. He enters this fight off a submission loss to Song Yadong in May. Talbott, meanwhile, is 11-1 in MMA and enters this fight off a decision win over Henry Cejudo at UFC 323.

The UFC 332 main card will also feature King Green vs. Esteban Ribovics, Roberto Soldic vs. Khaos Williams, and Ateba Gautier vs. Roman Kopylov.

NATALIA SILVA VS WANG CONG

Silva’s rise has been something to watch in the flyweight division. Not only does she have speedy striking, but her kickboxing is also full of unpredictability. She’s able to change stances quickly and use her footwork in a way that makes her difficult to hit. That’s a direct contrast to Cong, who has high striking accuracy and looks to make use of her range as she works her own striking. Cong has also shown willingness to go to the clinch or ground when needed, though she’s even better at stopping those attempts from her opponent.

Ultimately, this comes down to who gets the fight to be her kind of fight. Will Cong be able to cut off the cage and make Silva pay when trying to enter to land on her? Will Silva’s movements and technical striking cause problems? Who will land the better kicks? Who can handle the elevation and championship distance? And can Cong, only ranked No. 8, prove she deserves this moment?

BET: Silva via decision (FanDuel: -105)

ATEBA GAUTIER VS ROMAN KOPYLOV

Gautier entered the UFC with the reputation of being the “middleweight Francis Ngannou.” Now, we get to see if Gautier is ready for the next level of competition. Andrey Pulyaev already showed us what’d happen potentially if Gautier fought past the first round, but Gautier returned to violent finishes with his win over Ozzy Diaz. A win tonight can show he’s ready for tougher competition, but Kopylov won’t make this easy.

Kopylov is an Octagon veteran who is 7-3 in the UFC, including a 4-1 record in his last five fights. While Gautier is known for his explosiveness, Kopylov’s powerful kicks and fluid movement can present opportunities for Gautier to be confused by a more awkward style. If Kopylov can survive an early onslaught of power, how will Gautier respond? That could say a lot about how far Gautier can go in his Octagon run.

BET: Gautier via KO/TKO (FanDuel: +110)

DAMIAN PINAS VS ANDREY PULYAEV

Pinas is perhaps one of the most fun rising prospects to watch right now. He’s 10-1 with six straight wins, and his first two Octagon bouts against Wes Schultz and Cesar Almeida have shown the power he possesses. In fact, no one had ever KO’d Almeida before Pinas did. But Pulayev’s tall frame, durability, and distance management can present a different kind of challenge, as it did for Gautier when those two faced off.

Pulayev should look to not play into an in-close trading battle. He should use his range, land kicks, and move around the outside to make things difficult to get hit. If Pinas stays as composed and looks for opportunities as he did in his first two fights, he can pass this test, too.

BET: Pinas to win AND Under 1.5 rounds SGP (BetMGM: +135)

ANTHONY WINT VS LUCAS ARMAND

Anthony Wint is clearly making the most of the opportunities coming his way. The former football athlete won in mere seconds on Dana White’s Contender Series in August, and he earned his first Octagon win 11 days later in a short-notice bout at UFC Sacramento. Now he gets to compete on a numbered card in yet another big opportunity.

Armand is unbeaten himself at 6-0, and he has scored plenty of finishes like Wint. Armand has the size and physical domination, but Wint seems to pass the eye test more and has the clearly better resume. If Armand can’t overwhelm Wint with his frame, this one may not last long (heck, it may not last long either way). And in a weak heavyweight division, if Wint continues to win, more opportunities will come to him.

BET: Wint via KO/TKO in Round 1 SGP (FanDuel: +170)